Lingering Fragrance
by Racke
Summary: Haruhi's leaving, what will Kyon do?


Lingering Fragrance

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

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"Goodbye."

Don't be ridiculous.

"It was fun while it lasted. You guys take care, okay?"

There's no way.

She can't say goodbye. She can't be leaving. She just can't.

I seemed to have lost the ability to tell time, it feels like it happened a year ago, and yet at the same time I feel as if she'd said it just now.

The clock on the wall isn't moving, yet it rushes on at a speed that can't be possible. I can't keep track of the time, so I stare myself blind at the hands that never seem to move, the hands that are somehow rushing away from me.

Those words echo through my head, those words that doesn't make any sense, those words that couldn't be said. Those words that speak only the truth.

She's leaving. She's disappearing from my life.

And I don't want her to.

She's infected every part of me, distorted everything about me. How could I survive without her?

The hands have disappeared from my sight. My eyes are torn away from their impossible movement. The sky looks just as it always does. The sun shines from behind the clouds and blue sky peaks out from the grayness.

Life goes on.

Really? Does it really continue? I can't imagine it… Life without her isn't life. It can't be life.

The ground beneath my feet is moving. I didn't realize that I'd begun walking. I wonder if my life will continue to be like this from now on, seeing without understanding, moving without knowledge?

The ground is moving faster. I can't see anything, my eyes are filled with that memory. I can't hear the traffic's furious noise, her words still echo through my ears. I can't smell anything, only that fragile fragrance that still lingers on the armband in my hand.

The armband? Oh, yeah. It's all that's left of her. It's what she left for me.

The ground screeches to a halt as something catches my leg, the ground beneath me has stopped to move, and yet it rushes at me.

There should be pain. I'm certain that there should be pain, but it doesn't matter. I can't feel it any longer. I can feel only the pulse of my racing heart.

I must have crawled back to my feet, because I'm moving again.

I can see it. The place where she is.

I should hear the people around me, but I can't.

An announcement echoes through the gigantic hall. It's time. She has to leave.

The world feels fuzzy, as if it's creator never bothered to consider anything but her. She's standing there, an existence of perfect detail in a world of blurry afterimages.

She is my purpose. She is my hope. She is the one who has twisted me beyond recognition. She's the one who brought me to life.

There are people in the way. They're saying something, I can't hear them, but that doesn't matter. She's right there. How could anything else matter?

I think I've opened my mouth, but I can't hear anything come out of it. Her voice is still echoing through my head, drowning out everything else.

There is a flicker. Her figure twitches, turning towards me with bewilderment written over that beautiful face of hers.

"Kyon…?" her voice is quiet, I shouldn't have been able to hear it – I think someone is shouting in my ear – but her voice cuts through everything.

My racing heart seems to have finally gone mad, beating with a ferocity that shouldn't be possible. My mouth seems to be moving again, I'm not sure what slips through my lips.

She looks at me, eyebrows raising, as she seems to process whatever words left my mouth.

My mouth moves again, making sure that she hears, making sure that she knows of this heart of mine that won't slow down. And for once, Haruhi seems to be lost for words. She glances around, her face growing ever redder, and I blink as the world finally flicks back into existence.

There're people surrounding us on all sides. People that are all looking at us, some of them look curious, others embarrassed, but most of them simply look surprised.

Finally, my voice echoes back to me, a voice so filled to the brim with emotions that I can't help the blush that slowly begin to spread over my cheeks.

It seems that my reddening face somehow brings Haruhi's voice back to life.

"Kyon you _idiot_!! What kind of lousy confession was _that_!?" I can feel the flinching of the guards holding me as her voice cuts through the low murmur of the airport.

I can feel my face grow even redder, but for some reason, that doesn't stop me. In fact, it only serves to fuel my voice as I open my mouth again.

"What's so lousy about saying that you love someone!?"

"Stop saying that already!!"

"I don't want to!!"

"I command you as the Brigade leader to _shut_ _up_!!"

"Well then, as the _new_ Brigade leader, I command _you_ to give me an answer already!!"

Haruhi's face somehow manages to go even redder.

"I love you too, now shut the hell _up_!!"

---

How much time has passed since then? I wonder, but it doesn't matter. She's here. The armband was taken away from me, but I don't mind. She's here with me, her warmth is all that matters, that lingering fragrance is no longer a memory, but rather something that I can relive every time I draw another breath.

She's all that I ever needed, she's the girl that I love.

---

**A/n:** **Whoa, this turned out… not as one might've suspected when knowing the original idea. I wonder if it's completely impossible for me to write a fanfic with a sad ending? Not that I mind, I like happy endings. Anyway, hope you enjoyed it.**


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